Osteospermum plant named ‘Fidostsepia’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Fidostsepia’, characterized by its compact and mounding plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely and early flowering habit; single-type inflorescences with warm orange bronze-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘FIDOSTSEPIA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Fidostsepia’.

The new Osteospermum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in De Lier, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Osteospermum plants that are freely branching with numerous inflorescences with unique and attractive ray and disc floret coloration.

The new Osteospermum plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in May, 2008 of a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number O 45711, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number O 67242, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands in October, 2008.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in De Lier, The Netherlands since November, 2008 has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Osteospermum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Fidostsepia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Fidostsepia’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum plant:

-   -   1. Compact and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely and early flowering habit.     -   4. Single-type inflorescences with warm orange bronze-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in ray floret color as plants of the female parent selection have pink bronze-colored ray florets and plants of the male parent selection have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum ‘Fidostdebro’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,405. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in De Lier, The Netherlands, plants of the new Osteospermum differed primarily from plants of ‘Fidostdebro’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were more freely branching         than plants of ‘Fidostdebro’.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum and ‘Fidostdebro’ differed in         ray floret color as plants of ‘Fidostdebro’ had lighter         bronze-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Fidostsepia’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the spring and early summer in 10.5-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in De Lier, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 17° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. Plants were pinched one time and were 13 weeks old when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Fidostsepia’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number O 45711, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number O 67242, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six days at 22° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About twelve days             at 22° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 14 days at             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; whitish grey             in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Compact and mounding plant             habit; relatively short internodes, dense and bushy growth             habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 15 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching             habit, about five to seven lateral branches develop per             plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development. Length:             About 6 cm to 9 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Internode length:             About 0.5 cm to 2.5 cm. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture:             Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 144C.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 5 cm to 8 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to             3 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Lobed; serrate. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous.             Texture, lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137B. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             146B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;             venation, close to 144B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 144B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance and aspect.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences;             inflorescences positioned beyond the foliar plane on             moderately strong peduncles and face mostly upright;             single-type inflorescence form with elliptic to slightly             obovate-shaped ray florets and tubular disc florets; ray and             disc florets developing acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit; about 10 to 40             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—In The Netherlands, plants of the new             Osteospermum flower continuously from spring until first             frost in the autumn; early flowering habit, plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—At temperatures of 14° C. to 20°             C., inflorescences last about 2.5 weeks on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence buds, just prior to anthesis.—Height: About             1.8 cm. Diameter: About 1.2 cm. Shape: Globular to ovoid.             Color: Close to 137C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 5 mm. Disc diameter: About 1.2 cm to 1.5 cm.             Receptacle diameter: About 4 mm. Receptacle height: About             4 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 146A.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.8 cm to 4 cm. Width: About             8 mm. Shape: Elliptic to slightly obovate. Apex: Rounded to             slightly obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Quantity             per inflorescence and arrangement: About 18 to 20 in a             single whorl. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 167C; color does not fade with             development. When opening and fully opened, lower surface:             Close to 167D; longitudinal stripes, close to 165A; color             does not fade with development.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular with five pointed apices.             Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm. Number of disc             florets per inflorescence: About 70. Color, immature: Apex             and mid-section: Close to 144D; longitudinal stripes, close             to N200A. Base: Close to N155D. Color, mature: Apex: Close             to N200A. Mid-section and base: Close to N155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement:             About 19 to 21 in a single whorl. Length: About 9 mm to             11 mm. Width: About 1 mm to 2 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex:             Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color, upper             surface: Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 138A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 11 cm to 14 cm. Diameter: About             2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Aspect: Mostly upright.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Close to N77A. Pollen amount: Moderate to             abundant. Pollen color: Close to 23A. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma             shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 183A. Style length:             About 6 mm. Style color: Close to 183A Ovary color: Close to             N155D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Osteospermum. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermum plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind     and temperatures ranging from about 4° C. to about 35° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Fidostsepia’ as illustrated and described. 